Hybrid
by Rockin-Actress27
Summary: Two years after the Fire Lord is defeated, a new threat arises. Will the Avatar, Katara, Sokka, Toph, Zuko and some new friends be able to defeat them? Or could these new, powerful hybrids take over the world? Eventually Zutara, Toph/Sokka and Aang/OC
1. Chapter 1: Old and new friends

**I DO NOT OWN AVATAR!**

Katara stirred the stew that was over the fire. Sokka and their dad would be back soon from their hunting trip, and they would be hungry.  
Her mind wandered, like it did most days, back to two years ago, which, even though the world was in chaos, was the best time of her life. It had been two years since peace was finally brought to the world. For a year after the war ended, Katara, Sokka, Aang, Toph and Suki stayed with Iroh in Ba Sing Se. Zuko was crowned Fire Lord, and worked with the Earth King to bridge the gap between the two nations. Then, after a year, Aang decided it was time for him to leave Ba Sing Se and learn more about his people. He left and headed to the Eastern Air Temple. Shortly after, Katara and Sokka headed back home, Toph went to live with the Earth King and Suki went back to Kyoshi Island. They hadn't talked to one another since they left Ba Sing Se.  
"Katara, your Gran-Gran would like to see you." One of the older women of the village said, sticking her head in the tent. Katara nodded and went to her Gran-Grans tent.  
"I heard you wanted to see me?" Gran-Gran looked up from her knitting.  
"Yes, come and sit for just a few minutes please." Katara sat next to her.  
"Now, it has been a year since you and Sokka returned home. And I've noticed how you two seem to become sadder as the weeks go on."  
"Gran-Gran, I'm-"  
"Don't apologize dear! It's understandable why you're upset! So I talked to your father and we both agree that you two need to go and visit your friends."  
"Really?" Katara exclaimed. Gran-Gran nodded. "Oh thank you Gran!" Katara threw her arms around her.  
'Your dad was going to tell Sokka on their hunting trip. So, I would pack so you can leave shortly after they arrive back home. I'm sure Sokka will be just as anxious as you to leave." Katara kissed her on the cheek and ran to her tent. She quickly threw a couple packs together, and straightened up the tent. By the time that Sokka and Hakoda arrived home, Katara was completely ready to leave.

"Do you think he's still at the Eastern Air Temple?" Katara asked Sokka, as he started to row the boat.  
"I don't know where else he would be... except the other temples. Which aren't hard to get to." Katara sighed and looked out over the dark blue water. They had left very early that morning, and were headed towards the Earth Nation coast line. They knew that they needed to get a better boat to make it all the way to the Eastern Air Temple and they hoped to find one in a port town on the coast.  
"I hope Aang won't mind us visiting him..." Katara thought out loud.  
"Why would he? We haven't spoken to him in a year."  
"He didn't exactly leave on the best terms with me..."  
"Well, he did just break up with you. But I'm sure he's fine now." Katara sighed.  
"I hope so..."

Aang landed quietly and shut his glider. He glanced around at his surroundings. He had just arrived at the Northern Air Temple, the only temple he hadn't visited yet on his one year trip. It was in the better conditions than the other ones, that was apparent. The buildings weren't crumbling and eroding away, and there were less scorch marks everywhere from the Fire Nation invasion over 100 years ago. Appa swooped in and landed next to him, with Momo on his back.  
"Hi buddy." Aang greeted, rubbing his head. Appa nuzzled his head against Aang's shoulder.  
"Let's get some sleep, ok?"Aang said. Appa laid down and Aang and Momo leaned up against his belly. Just as they were drifting off to sleep, Aang heard a twig snap behind them. He sat up and walked to the other side of Appa. A girl with long, blonde hair stood there, with a roughly made spear in her hand.

"Thanks." Sokka handed the man ten coins, in exchange for his small but faster boat. The man nodded and left Sokka and Katara at the dock.  
"Let's get something to eat." Katara suggested. Sokka nodded and they walked down the pier to a small restaurant. Halfway through their meal of stew and bread, a man burst through the doors.  
"Fight!" It was amazing to Katara how all the men, including Sokka, jumped up and ran outside. She followed to make sure Sokka didn't do anything stupid.  
"Katara! It's a catfight!" Sokka ran over to his sister.  
"What?!"  
"Yea, come see!" He pushed his way through the crowd, so Katara could see two girls fighting in the center. They were both short; one had short black hair while the other had longer, light brown hair. They black haired one threw a punch but the other girl ducked and rammed her shoulder into the girls gut. They fell on the ground and began rolling around, which caused a great cloud of dust to appear and cover the girls. When the cloud had disappeared, the girls were no where to be seen. Gasps went up throughout the crowd, and then a shout came from behind them.  
"Ta-Da!" The crowd whipped around to see the two girls standing there, arms around each other. All the men laughed and some threw coins at the girls.  
"Excellent job girls. Gets better every time." one man said to him, as he handed them a small sack.  
"Thanks Joh." The black haired one said with a small grin. Katara and Sokka walked over to them.  
"That was amazing!" Sokka exclaimed.  
"Well thanks. My names Ashley." The brunette with grey eyes greeted.  
"And I'm Andreea." The raven-haired with purple eyes said with a wave of her hand.  
"I'm Sokka, and this is my sister Katara. How did you do that?"  
"Earthbending."  
"Really? That's amazing! Can you show us how?"  
"Like this" Ashley clasped her hands together and put her leg around the other, like she was going to spin around, but instead, she sank into the ground and then reappeared two feet to the left of where she was originally standing.  
"Wow." Sokka said.  
"You're both Earthbenders I take it?" Katara asked.  
"Yup, our mom's side has a history of Earthbenders." Andreea explained.  
"You're sisters?" Katara asked. The two girls looked nothing alike; Andreeas hair was short and choppy, her purple eyes were large and dark and she had very pale skin. Ashley's hair was layered and flowy, she had sparking grey eyes and she looked like she enjoyed being outdoors.  
"Unfortunately." Andreea said with a small smile. Ashley rolled her eyes and nudged her sister playfully.  
'Well, it was really nice to meet you, but we need to get going." Katara said.  
"Where you heading?" Ashley asked.  
"Eastern Air Temple. Our friend lives there." Katara answered.  
"The Avatar?" Ashley asked with a smirk.  
"You know Aang?"  
"Yea. He was here about a week ago. He watched one of our performances and was very impressed. We taught him some tricks, including the one we just showed you." explained Andreea.  
"Did he say where he was headed?"  
"Northern Air Temple. He left two days ago for it."  
"Do you know how to get there Sokka?" Katara asked.  
"Yea, we've been there before. But it's going to take a few days."  
"Well, then we should get a move on. It was really nice to meet you." Katara told the sisters.  
"You might want to stay here. Aang said he was only going to be there for a couple days and then return here. By the time you reach the temple, he'll probably be back here." Ashley told them. Katara sighed.  
'What do you think Sokka?"  
"I'm fine staying here."  
"You can stay with us at our house." Ashley offered.  
"Really? That would be great!"  
"Here is our address." Ashley whipped out a piece of paper and a small pencil and wrote down an address and directions to their house. "It's not hard to find. Stop by whenever you have your stuff together. We need to get moving though; we have another performance soon."  
"Alright. Thank you again!" Katara said. They smiled and walked down the street, fading away into the crowd.


	2. Chapter 2: Discovery

Running through the brush and the undergrowth, the boys chest heaved with exhaustion; but he didn't care about that. He knew he needed to get back to the elders and tell them what he saw. He finally spotted his village just a hundred feet away. He picked up the pace even more and raced into his tiny village under the trees.  
"Father! Father!" He yelled with the little air he had left. An older man only wearing a loincloth made of leaves walked out of the largest tent.  
"Yes Sean?" He asked. His son collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. His father and rest of his village ran over to him. His father knelt down next to him.  
"Breathe son. Water! Get him water!" A girl ran back a few seconds later with a jug of water. Sean choked over the water that his father forced down his throat. After a couple minutes, he was finally able to speak.  
"I saw the most horrific thing Father. Just past the swamp, there are people, who can do... who can do horrible things."  
"What is it son?" His father put his hand on his sons shoulder. Sean shuddered under his fathers touch.  
"Son?" He heard his father's voice fade away as he slipped into the darkness.

*FLASHBACK*  
Sean wandered the swamp with his sword hanging around his waist. He whistled while he walked, not really wanting to hunt anything today. He knelt down by an almost blossomed lily and touched the stem. His blue eyes sparkled as he helped the lily fully blossom. Sean, like his whole village, was a different kind of Waterbender. They had lived in a large swamp for centuries and his ancestors had discovered a way to move plants by bending the water inside them. He stood up and stretched. Suddenly, he heard a scream ahead of him. He was close to the edge of the swamp, so he figured it must be from the village right outside. He began running towards the sound of the scream. All of his people were agile and quick, so they had no problem running over the many weeds and roots that scattered the swamp floor. He reached the edge of the swamp and his jaw dropped; the village was on fire. He resumed running towards the village. Just as he got to the entrance, a little boy ran outside. One side of his face was a startling red and he walked with a limp. Tears ran down his face and he limped to Sean.  
"My mommy is still in there! They won't let us out!" He cried out.  
"Who? Who won't let you out?" Sean asked.  
"The bad men!" The boy flung his arms around Sean's leg and sobbed. Sean squinted to see through the black smoke.  
"Stay here, ok?" He told the little boy.  
"Don't leave me!" Sean sighed and quickly glanced all around.  
"Go and hide behind that bush, ok? I'll be back very soon. I promise." The boy whimpered, but nodded. He slowly walked over as Sean walked into the village. The black smoke clouded his vision, so he was unable to see anything. He put his arms out in front of him, and continued walking. The farther he walked, the clearer the air became. Soon, he could see the burning houses. It was strangely silent, and there wasn't a person in sight. He followed the path and it led him to the center of the village. He had to stop the urge to vomit; bodies were piled up on each other throughout the square. Blood was splattered everywhere, and some limbs were even strewn around. He glanced around for any living and saw none.  
WHOOSH! Flames missed his face by inches. He stumbled back and saw a small group of people hiding between two houses. He sent a jet stream towards them, but they backed up before it hit them. He waited for another strike, but nothing came. Then, two people walked out slowly. One was a very tall man with spiked sapphire blue hair and the other was a only slightly shorter female with vibrant orange hair.  
"Who are you?" the male asked in a deep, monotone voice.  
"Maybe I should ask who the hell you are, and why you killed so many innocent people?" Sean growled back. The girl smiled, making Sean very uneasy.  
"You'll find out soon enough." She said sweetly. They both put their hands up in front of themselves and they turned red with fire. Sean conjured up a wall of water around himself, for protection. Strangely enough they did not fire; they only held their pose. Suddenly, Sean felt a strong pain in his gut. He doubled over and the wall of water around him dropped. The girl took that moment of weakness and struck his left leg. He cried out in pain and turned to run, but a jet of water wrapped around his leg and pulled it out from under him. He fell to the ground, but was able to whip around to see the man create a ring of water around them. Sean jumped up, ignoring the throbbing pain in his injured leg. He grabbed the hilt on his waist. To any passersby, it would seem like a normal sword when not unsheathed; but when Sean pulled the hilt away from the scabbard, the blade was actually clear, cold ice. He swung the sword around so it was pointing straight at the male and shot a frozen stream of ice at him from the tip of his sword. The man realized too late he was being attacked, so the ice scrapped off a chunk of skin from his shoulder. He hissed in pain and yelled, "Kill him!" Five other people stepped out from between the two houses, and immediately began shooting fire and water streams at Sean. Despite his injured leg, Sean was able to dodge the attacks. He knew he couldn't handle all of them by himself, especially injured, so he slowly began backing up while firing at the others, until he could feel the water wall behind him. He quickly threw up a strong wall of water to protect himself. He heaved in a large breath of air and steadied himself for what he was about to do. His hands tingled from excitement. He waited for the right moment, when no fire or water was being thrown at him. Then, he projected seven large ice balls he created from the wall around him and threw them. The attackers attempted to destroy them, but were unable to. All seven of the ice balls crashed into their intended opponent. By the time they had thrown the balls off them, Sean had mysteriously disappeared, and was running back towards his village.

*END FLASHBACK*


	3. Chapter 3: Surprising News

****reviews please?? they would be greatly appreciated. this is my first widely read fanfiction, so i welcome them. oh, and some of the characters are my own creations, like ashley, andreea and sean.****

Four days had passed since Katara and Sokka left their home. They had sent word to Ba Sing Se to Toph; they hoped she would come down to visit for awhile. Ashley and Andreea were becoming good friends; the evenings when all of them were at home were spent laughing at stories and Sokka's ridiculous jokes. During the afternoon of their fourth day, Sokka and Katara decided to accompany Ashley and Andreea to some of their performances. They watched from the sidelines as the girls fought each other and also performed Earthbending tricks for money. They were always fun to watch, and very good at what they did. They never left any performance empty handed. On their last stop of the day, Katara left to order a couple drinks for Sokka and her. When she came back, their performance was done but there was still a large group of people in that area. She didn't see Sokka anywhere, but she heard his laughter coming from the center of the group of people. She politely pushed her way through to the front. Sokka, Ashley and Andreea were talking with a tall, slim figure that had soft brown hair. He wore the traditional orange robes of an Airbending Master, and still carried his glider. The Avatar had certainly grown in the year Katara hadn't seen him.

"Aang?" She said. Aang turned around and smiled at Katara.

"Hi Katara!" He greeted enthustically. Katara walked over and embraced him. She had to look up now to get a good look at him.

"How are you?" She asked.

"Wonderful. And you?"

"Great."

"Well, how about we head back to our house?" Ashley suggested.

"That would be great!" Aang said. Katara nodded, watching Aang very closely. Something was different about Aang; she just couldn't figure out what it was.

"Excuse us folks!" Ashley called. "The Avatar's coming through!" The crowd moved aside to let them through.

"Wait," Aang said once they weren't surrounded by people. "I need to go quickly. I'll be right back. I have a surprise for you all." He grinned widely and quickly walked away. Katara and Sokka exchanged a confused look.

A few minutes later, they spotted Aang walking through the crowd with a slender, blonde girl who wore a pale purple dress.

"This is Jessa." Aang introduced. "Jessa, this is Katara, Sokka, Ashley and Andreea."

"Hi Jessa." They greeted. She blushed.

"Hello." she said in a soft voice. Katara couldn't help but feel jealous when she saw the look Aang gave Jessa; it was how he used to look at her.

"Now, let's head back to your house Ashley and Andreea. I have some very important news to tell you all." They walked through the crowd, Ashley and Andreea leading the way, Aang and Jessa in the middle and Katara and Sokka bringing up the end. When they arrived home, Ashley shut and locked their door. Everyone sat around the table, and Andreea poured them some juice.

"Now, what is it you wanted to tell us Aang?" Sokka asked. Aang looked at Jessa, grinned and then said,

"I arrived at the Northern Air Temple a few days ago, not expecting to find anything special. Then, I met Jessa." He took Jessa's hand in his and sighed happily.

"She's an Airbender."

There was stunned silence.

"But… how?" Katara whispered eyes wide in shock. Jessa looked at Aang for encouragement; he nodded and smiled at her. Jessa turned to face the group and began telling her story.

"When I was 4 I noticed that I could make the wind move however I wanted. I loved whipping up mini windstorms, and creating wind balls to ride on. Unfortunately, my parents found my special talent frightening. Since all of the Airbenders had been killed over 100 years ago, they feared for my life. They kept me hidden in my house, and the little I did go into public, I was forbidden to do even the slightest Airbending, in case someone spotted it. Then, when I was 11, the Fire Nation Army attacked my town. They killed my mother and captured my father, who was an Earthbender. I had no one left; so I packed my few belongings and left my home. I had no idea where I was going, so I traveled all over the lower half of the Earth Nation. I ended up in a large coastal city. I was there for a week, when an older man approached me and asked me if I knew what I was. I asked him what he meant; he told me that he had caught me performing a small Airbending move. I was worried that he would turn me in to the Fire Nation, but he assured me he wouldn't. We talked for a very long time and then he gave me a glider and a map. He suggested that I visit the Northern Air Temple. I never saw him again. But, I took his advice and flew to the Temple. While living there, I found some old documents that weren't destroyed when the Fire Nation attacked. One day, I found a letter from a man named Johu, saying how sorry he was for leaving, but he knew that it was for the best. That's when I remembered my great-grandfathers name was Johu. I'm not completely sure, but I'm guessing that Johu left the Temple to marry an Earth Nation woman; my great-grandmother Mahi. Somehow, no one in my family for two generations were Airbenders; just Earthbenders." There was silence as they sucked in what they just heard.

"This is just... wow." Sokka exclaimed. There was a knock at the door. Ashley went to answer it.

"How much can you do?" Katara asked.

"Not very much. But Aang is teaching me a lot." Jessa said.

"She's a natural." Aang assured her.

"umm, Aang? You might want to look at this." Ashley shut the door and handed him a letter the mailman had just handed her. There was a large "URGENT" stamped onto the envelope. Aang quickly opened the letter and read out loud:

_"Dear Aang, Katara and Sokka, You are all needed at Ba Sing Se immediately. Urgent news you need to hear. Love, Toph"_


	4. Chapter 4: Hybrids

****reviews really would be helpful. if it sucks, tell me. i won't be hurt. (i'll just yell at my friends because they keep telling me its awesome) if it's good, tell me too! really, i want reviews. so thanks!!** **

They left that night. They said goodbye to Ashley and Andreea and promised to visit soon. Katara felt right at home on the back of Appa, flying through the cold, night air. Sokka was sleeping next to her, with Momo curled up beside him. Aang and Jessa were flying ahead of Appa on their gliders. Aang was teaching Jessa tricks she could do on it. Katara tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and laid down to sleep. They still had a couple days ride to Ba Sing Se.

"Sokka, wake up. We're here." Katara shook her snoozing brother. He mumbled something a bout cactus juice and cow-sheep, then rolled over onto his other side.

"Sokka!" Aang yelled. Sokka flew up.

"What?! What'd I miss?"! His eyes were wide and his brown hair hung at odd angles around his face.

"We're here." Katara said with a laugh.

"Oh, ok." Sokka scratched his head, yawned and got up. They all hopped down from Appa's back.

"Do you think anyone is up?" Jessa asked. Just as Aang was going to answer, the gates to the palace opened and Toph and Zuko walked out.

"About time you showed up!" Toph greeted, a wide grin on her face. Her hair was out of it's usual bun and was flowing down her back. She wore a forest green nightgown, and had a black cape over it.

"We flew as fast we could!" Aang protested, as everyone hugged Toph and Zuko.

"When did you get here?" Katara asked Zuko. None of them, except Aang, had seen Zuko since the week of his coronation two years ago. The 18 year old had grown about five inches taller, so he stood a head taller than everyone, even Sokka. He wore a red shirt and black pants, which looked travel-worn.

"Just a couple hours before you." He answered, smiling down at Katara, who blushed and looked away. _What is wrong with me?_ she thought. _It's just Zuko! _

"C'mon inside. The Earth King is waiting for you." Toph led them through the gate and up the stairs inside the Earth King's palace. They reached the throne room, where the Earth King was talking with a man and a teenage boy. Both wore only leaf loincloths and black capes. The man had graying black hair that was braided down his back. The boy had dark brown hair that spiked in the back. They were both tan and muscular, even the older man.

"Welcome back Aang and friends! It's so good to see you!" The Earth King greeted warmly. Bosco was sleeping at the Kings feet.

"You too Your Majesty." Aang said.

"Aang, this is Zak and Sean. They live in a swamp just east of here." Toph introduced the two men in the room.

"Pleasure to meet you, Avatar." Zak said, bowing.

"And you." Aang bowed back.

"Now, why we were called here suddenly?" Katara asked.

"Toph, please go wake Chief Arnook." The Earth King said. Toph nodded and sped out of the room.

"Chief Arnook is here? All the way from the Northern Water Tribe?" Katara asked. Clearly, this was huge news if he called all the major leaders together. A few minutes later Toph came back with Chief Arnook, who still looked like he was sleeping.

"Now that everyone is here, you may tell your story Sean." The boy stepped forward and cleared his throat.

"Well, about two weeks ago, the village right outside our swamp was attacked, by fire and Waterbenders. And I don't mean separate benders; I mean one person was bending fire _and _water."

"What?" Aang asked, shocked beyond belief. "That's not possible!"

"It is. But it gets worse. I suffered injuries from my encounter with them, but they weren't normal injuries. While fighting them, I noticed a strong pain in my gut. I thought nothing of it. Then as the day went on, it grew worse and worse. It felt like my internal body was on fire. I noticed dark red areas over my body, almost like burns but different. Finally, it grew so bad that I was drifting in and out of consciousness. My family finally took me to a creek in the swamp that is said to have magical powers. As you can see, it worked. The only explanation my family could come up with, is that my internal organs were literally on fire, or at least destroying themselves."

"So you're saying that there is a new form of bending that combines fire and water, and they can cause your internal organs to destroy?" Katara asked, horrified.

"Yes, at least, that is what we believe." Zak answered.

"And we have had accounts of two more attacks on villages in the past week. We believe it is the same people. There has only been one survivor from all three attacks. A small boy that Sean rescued." Toph added.

"We had to amputate his leg because it was so badly burned. And he is blind in one eye from the attack." Sean said gravely.

"Is he here?" Aang asked.

"Yes, but he's sleeping. You may talk with him in the morning, but I don't know how much you'll be able to get out of him. He doesn't like to talk about it." said Sean.

"We need to figure out what and who these people are. It's vital. I don't know want another 100 years war." Aang stated fiercely.


	5. Chapter 5: Plots, secrets and liars

****shorter chapter than the others... but i needed to get something out there. reviews would be MUCH appreciated!!! thanks!!****

"Riley! Get your ass over here!" Nutashi yelled from across camp. Riley, a 17 year old boy with sapphire mohawked hair and fiery red eyes looked up from the book he was reading. Nutashi, the leader of the rebel benders, also known as "the hybrids", was standing with her partner, Liaf, in front of their tent. She looked pissed, and the only thing worse than an angry Nutashi was… well, nothing was worse. Riley sighed and got up from the ground. He approached his leaders cautiously.  
"Yes Nutashi?" They led him inside of their tent.  
"We are in need of your services Riley." She smiled. Riley gulped; when Nutashi smiled, it was never because she was happy.  
"Alright? What can I do?"  
"We need you to go undercover."  
"Undercover? Why?"  
"Apparently, we are no longer a secret. All the world leaders are now aware of our existence. It must be because of that boy that escaped a couple weeks ago. Anyway, we need you to go Ba Sing Se and go undercover and discover what they plan to do about us. We need to get one step ahead of them, and you are just the man for the job."  
"I am?"  
"Yes. You leave tomorrow at sunrise. Now go." She dismissed him with a flick of her wrist. Liaf escorted him out of the tent. He walked to his tent that he shared with the other male (besides Liaf) in the group, Holt.  
"What did they need you for?" He asked.  
"Nothing." Riley knew they wouldn't want him to say anything to the others. He got into his cot and stared up at the top of their tent, thinking about his task until he drifted off into a fitful slumber.

The morning after the Gaang arrived at Ba Sing Se was spent in meetings with Chief Arnook, The Earth King and Zuko, deciding what to do with the rebels. By noon, no one had come up with a good plan, and tempers were rising.  
"Let's take an hour break for lunch." suggested the Earth King. They all agreed and dispersed. Aang and Jessa went to meditate, Toph had Earth Kingdom business to attend to, and Sokka went with Chief Arnook to discuss the Water Nation.  
"Katara!" Zuko called down the hall. She stopped and waited for him. "I was wondering, do you want to eat lunch with me?" He was blushing, and Katara couldn't understand why.  
"Sure! Where do you want to go?"  
"Well, we could go and visit Iroh." He suggested.  
"Oh yes! I would love to!" Katara had forgotten that Iroh owned a tea shop in the city. They left the palace and walked out into the city.  
"So how are things going in the Fire Nation?" Katara asked after a long awkward silence.  
"Alright. It's more difficult that I thought it would be. I write to Uncle a lot, asking for his advice. He's been a great help. What about the Water Nation?"  
"The Southern part is thriving. We're almost back to where we used to be, before the war. At least, that's what my Gran-Gran tells me."  
"Good." Zuko said. They went silent again.  
"Any luck finding your mom yet?" Katara asked. Zuko chuckled.  
"Actually yes. We found her on a remote island about a year ago. My father had banished her there, along with her maids."  
"Zuko! That's terrific! I bet she's very proud of you." Katara smiled at him.  
"Yes, yes she is." They had reached Iroh's tea shop. As soon as they stepped into the shop, Iroh was by their side.  
"Zuko! Katara! What a pleasant surprise!" He hugged both of them. "What are you doing here in the city?" He asked. Katara and Zuko shared a glance.  
"We'll explain later. Top secret." Zuko whispered. Iroh nodded knowingly.  
"Well sit and enjoy ourselves. Tea is on the house!" He led them to a table closest to the front of the shop.  
"I'll have a cup of chai tea, please." Katara ordered.  
"I'll have lemon." Zuko told his Uncle.  
"Right away!" He sped off into the kitchen. Katara looked around at the busy shop; there was a wide variety of people, ranging from high city officials to dusty city workers, drinking their coffee and interacting with one another. She remembered before they won the war, when the city had a deep division between their social classes. Now, everyone was mingling with each other, despite their status.  
"Here you are!" Iroh had brought their tea.  
"Thanks." They said at the same time.  
"Excuse me sir." A boy with sapphire colored hair approached Iroh. He wore tattered and dirty clothing. "I was wondering if you were hiring at all."  
"I am young sir! Come with me." He put an arm around the boy's shoulders, who stared at Katara and Zuko with his red eyes as they walked into the kitchen.


	6. Chapter 6: Devastation

****thanks for the reviews and keep them coming! much appreciated! :D oh, and special thanks to my friend andreea who helped me with this part because i was a little stuck ((and yes, andreea in the story is based after her, because she asked to be in it!))****

***disclaimer- i don't own avatar.****

"If you look at their trail of attacks, you can obviously see that they're heading straight for Ba Sing Se. And at the rate they're going, they'll be here by next week." Sokka was in front of everyone with a large Earth Nation map. It was after lunch, and everyone was much more level-headed. There was a knock at the door.  
"Enter." The Earth King called. Sean appeared in the doorway.  
"Good afternoon everyone. I brought Keek so you may speak with him." A little boy that had a patch over his right eye and was using a cane to walk, since his right leg was missing, walked into the room.  
"Yes, yes. Bring him right over here." Katara got up and brought an extra chair over to the table. Sean and Keek moved to the chair, and Sean helped the boy into it.  
"Hello Keek. My name is Aang." Aang was sitting next to him.  
"Hi Aang." The boy answered shyly.  
"Now, I'm going to ask you a few questions about yourself, ok?" The boy nodded. "How old are you?"  
"8. But my birthday is next week!"  
"Wonderful! Now, what was your Mom's name?" The boy frowned.  
"Fitia."  
"And your dad?"  
"I don't know. I never knew him."  
"Alright, now I'm going to ask you what you can remember from the day that the bad men attacked your village. Can you remember anything?" Aang got down to the boys level. Tears welled up in Keek's eyes. He shook his head. Aang looked around the room.  
"How about you guys leave while I ask him?" He asked. Everyone nodded, and went into the conference room next door. It was just Sean, Keek and Aang in the room.  
"What about now?" Aang asked. Tears were rolling down the boys face, but he told his story.  
"They came around lunch time. My mom was just setting out lunch for me and my sister, when we heard screaming. Then, a man knocked our door down. He grabbed my mom's hair and dragged her out of the house. My sister and I ran after them. Houses were on fire, and so were people. I remember being terrified for my little sister, Belbel. She was only 5." He stopped.  
"I'm very sorry Keek."  
"They killed everyone in the town square. They kept us in there by freezing our hands and feet to the ground. Then they lit everyone on fire!" He began sobbing. Sean picked the boy up.  
"I think that's enough Aang." Sean said. Aang nodded.  
"Wait!" Keek stopped Sean from leaving. He looked at Aang.  
"Are you the Avatar?"  
"Yes."  
"Then why didn't you save my mommy and sister from them?" Keek asked. Aang was shocked beyond words.  
"Keek, let's go." Sean muttered.  
"No! I want to know why! You're supposed to save people, right?" Aang nodded. "Then why didn't you?" pleaded Keek.  
"I didn't know of them until yesterday. But don't you worry Keek, I promise to you that I will do everything I possibly can to make sure that they don't hurt anymore people. Alright?" Aang stared into Keek's eyes. There was silence for a moment, then Keek nodded.  
"Thank you Aang." He said. Sean smiled gratefully at Aang and took the young boy out of the room. Aang watched them leave, with a heavy heart and a lot on his mind. He entered the other conference room.  
"So, what's our plan?" He asked.  
"We fight." Sokka answered simply. Aang nodded, knowing it was the only way to stop the hybrids.

"Excellent job Riley. I'm very impressed with your performance the past couple days." Iroh told the boy as they closed up shop.  
"Thank you sir." Riley was washing up the tea pots and Iroh was wiping down the counters.  
"Now, you never told me. Where are you from?" Iroh asked, just as the back door to the shop burst open. Nutashi, Liaf and Holt stood in the doorway.  
"Riley, barricade the door." Nutashi ordered. Riley ran from his spot by the sink to the door leading into the actual shop.  
"Liaf, get the old man." Liaf grinned.  
"Gladly." He started walking over to Iroh, but stopped when Iroh began shooting flames at him. Nutashi stepped forward and stopped the flames in an instance with some water.  
"Now now General Iroh. None of that." She smiled and her eyes turned icy. Suddenly, Iroh stiffened and his skin began to turn blue.  
"Boys, grab him." Holt and Liaf ran over and picked up the frozen Iroh. Nutashi turned to Riley.  
"Help me destroy the shop." Riley nodded and they began overturning tables, breaking dishes and destroying anything they could. When they finished Nutashi nodded.  
"Good. Now, one last thing…" She turned to Riley and the last thing he remembered was the feeling of burning starting in his toes and slowly working up his body…

****reviews****


	7. Chapter 7: New plans

****thanks for the reviews/story alerts. it really does mean a lot. BUT, i would looooooooove more reviews. and sorry for the delays in adding chapters. our county fair is this week and i've been busy!!! but i hope you enjoy the new installment!****

Katara, Zuko and Sokka were sitting down to enjoy their breakfast, when Toph rushed into the kitchen.  
"Iroh's been kidnapped!" She informed them. Zuko stood up abruptly.  
"What?! But I was just there last night! What happened?" His golden eyes were clouded with worry.  
"I don't know. Come with me." Everyone rushed out of the room behind Toph. She took them to the Great Hall, where the Earth King, Aang and a boy were standing. Katara and Zuko recognized the boy as the same one that came in to the shop and asked for work a couple days ago. He was very pale and looked like he was having a hard time standing.  
"What happened to Iroh?" Zuko asked.  
"He was kidnapped last night. Riley saw it happen." Aang turned to the orange-haired boy.  
"They came after closing. I don't remember much, except… pain. A lot of pain." Riley choked out.  
"Where did they take him?" demanded Zuko  
"I have no idea."  
"Who's behind it?"  
"The hybrids." Sean walked out from behind the corner. He approached Riley and gave him a confused look, before explaining. "If you don't mind sir, could you lift your shirt?" He asked calmly. Riley looked confused, but lifted his tattered shirt to reveal burns similar to Sean's, but smaller and less severe.  
"You're lucky to be walking right now. They obviously didn't want you dead."  
"They're already in the city?" Katara asked.  
"It would seem so."  
"If you don't mind, I need to-" Riley collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Sean knelt down next to him.  
"I've seen him before… but I can't remember where." He shook his head, confused and then picked Riley up swiftly.  
"Where should he go?" He asked the Earth King.  
"He can go to any bedroom. I'll send word to my doctor to come here immediately."  
"No need. My father and I know how to handle this." Sean left with Riley.  
"Now what?" asked Katara.  
"I can't imagine they're still in the city. They must have snuck in to capture Iroh and then fled." said Sokka thoughtfully.  
"But why Iroh? They could have captured any of us, but instead they choose Iroh." said Zuko.  
"He's just bait. They chose someone that's not necessarily important, but he's important enough that they know we'll do anything to get him back." explained Sokka.  
"They didn't leave a note or anything though." said Katara.  
"We don't know that. Let's go visit the shop and see if we could find out more about our sneaky little friends." suggested Sokka.

"Wow. They certainly wanted it destroyed, didn't they?" said Katara as they entered the front door to the shop. They had a hard time walking around at all because there was so much debris and trash on the floor.  
"Katara, you and Zuko search the kitchen for any clues. Aang, look in the alleyway outside and Toph and I will look in here."  
"Yea, cause I'll be a whole bunch of help." Toph said sarcastically. They went to their designated rooms and began their long search for clues.  
"Katara, I hope you don't mind me asking, but why did you and Aang break up?" Zuko asked after a half hour of searching. The question surprised Katara and it took her a minute to answer.  
"We have different dreams… and when he left to visit the Air Temples we realized this."  
"Oh… what do you mean "different dreams"?" Katara sighed as they picked up a broken board.  
"Aang's only 14. I'm 16. Two years doesn't seem like a big difference, but with Aang and me it was. In my village, I'm nearing the age that I should get married. Aang is still too young and… I guess over time I realized we're just better off as friends. I still see him as the little 12 year old boy I found in the iceberg. I can't see him as a husband or a lover. It's just… weird. I mean, when he first broke up with me, I didn't see that. I was devastated. But after spending a year away from him, I can finally see that. Especially now that I've seen him and Jessa together." Zuko nodded.  
"That makes a lot of sense." They got quiet again.  
"You and Mai…?" Katara asked hesitantly.  
"We've been done for about a month now. It was mutual... I guess we just drifted apart." Zuko shrugged. "Nothing too complicated really." Katara smiled.  
"Relationships can be really complicated sometimes." She commented. Zuko laughed.  
"You have no idea…" He said absently, giving her a look that made her blush.  
"Guys! I found something!" Aang yelled. They rushed out of the kitchen and saw Aang holding a map. It was a very detailed map of the Earth Nation, with almost every village on it.  
"Why are there large X's over those 3 villages?" asked Katara.  
"Those are the villages they've attacked so far. And the ones circled are the ones they're planning to soon. And the blue line is the path they're on right now." Sokka studied the map intensely.  
"What are we going to do now?" asked Toph.  
"We need to rush the plan. Let's get back to the palace." said Sokka.

A week later, everyone that Sokka had sent messages out to, asking for help, had arrived at the palace. Suki had arrived with all of the Kyoshi Warriors and Mai, Jeong Jeong and Master Piando came with the White Lotus society, including King Bumi, The Mechanist and Teo arrived in a hot air balloon, and Andreea and Ashley came with some new friends.  
"Thank you all for coming. As you know, we have a major problem with the discovery of the hybrids. We have yet to actually meet one, so we don't quite know what they are capable of, which makes the situation even worse. But we have to move quickly, because we can't let them destroy any more villages. There was another yesterday, making the total four attacks so far." Aang informed them. Sokka stood up next to him and pointed to the map they found in the shop.  
"As you can see, they're planning to attack all the villages surrounding Ba Sing Se. They're playing with us; they want to see how many villages they can attack right in our own backyard, until we attack. Our only hope is to attack them, despite the lack of knowledge we have about them."  
"We can't quite tell which village they're going to attack next, which makes it difficult to pin down exactly where we make our first move. So, our plan is to send out a couple spies to the villages and watch out for any signs of the hybrids. Then we'll know where they are, how many there are etc." said Aang. "Who would volunteer to be spies?" Andreea stood up.  
"Don't worry about it Aang. We got it covered." She nodded to Ashley and the others they had brought with them.  
"Excellent. Well, I guess that's it for now, until we know more information." Everyone stood up and began greeting each other, since it had been quite awhile since they had seen each other.  
"Aang, this is Matchu, Tonya and Kiven. Guys, this is Aang." Ashley introduced the three people they had brought wit them. Matchu was a broad, tall man with short, curly brown hair. He smiled cheerfully, telling Aang he was generally a very happy person. Tonya was slim and only a little bit shorter than Matchu. She had very curly, dark blonde hair and seemed almost shy. Kiven was the tallest, and the most muscular. His light brown hair hung in his face and he greeted Aang with a cool nod of the head.  
"When would you like us to leave for your "spy mission"?" Andreea asked.  
"As soon as you can." Ashley smiled.  
"Then let's go."

****well?? let me know what you think!!****


	8. Chapter 8: Encounter

****thanks for being patient with me. i hope you enjoy the new chapter and i will have the next one up veryvery soon!! REVIEW PLEASE. it is GREATLY appreciated.****

Ashley scoped out the terrain from her seat at the top of a big oak. She could see Andreea's black head dip behind a bush 100 feet in front of her. She turned around slightly and whistled like a hawk-cat. That was Matchu's cue to come out from behind his hiding spot and begin walking along the path that led to a village. She watched him enter the village, unnoticed. Andreea slipped behind the bush, and stealthily walked up behind another one. Kiven was directly below Ashley, pretending to take a nap, but really he was keeping a sharp ear on his surroundings; Kiven had excellent hearing and could hear every twig snap and every bird chirp around him. Tonya was stationed on the other side of the village. They had spotted remains of a campsite on the way to the village.

They grew lazy as the day went on with no sign of trouble. Kiven, being Waterbender, started moving a small ball of Water around, making funny shapes with it. Ashley actually fell asleep. Andreea was the only on who stayed on her toes and she was the one that noticed the sign of warning emitted above the village. It was from Matchu; they knew because he was a Firebender and the sign was a large Fireball.  
"Kiven! Ashley!" She hissed. Ashley woke with a start and Kiven lost his concentration. Andreea pointed up to the sky where another warning Fireball was shot into the air.  
"Oh crap." both Kiven and Ashley muttered. Ashley jumped off the tree and the tree took off at a dead run towards the village. When they reached it, all seemed to be fine.  
"Maybe something happened with Tonya." Suggested Kiven. Andree and Ashley nodded and they ran to the other side of the village, where Matchu was pacing quickly.  
"Finally!" He exclaimed. "They captured Tonya."  
"Which way?" Andreea asked.  
"Left."  
"Did they see you?"  
"No."  
"Good. We can surprise them." They began following the tracks of the hybrids. After a half hour of following, Kiven stopped them.  
"Shh, they're right over the hill." He whispered. None of the others could hear anything, but they trust Kiven's hearing. Very slowly and quietly, they climbed over the grassy hill. They stopped when they could just see the hybrids camp.  
"I see her!" whispered Matchu, pointing to a figure that they knew was Tonya. She was being taken into a small tent by two men.  
"Look, both men came out. That means no ones in there with her. And only one is standing guard." observed Ashley.  
"Where are the others?" asked Matchu.  
"In the larger tent." Ashley said, pointing to the tent in the middle.  
"Andreea and Ashley, create a barricade so no one in that ten can get out. Matchu and I will get Tonya." They split up. Ashley and Andreea, making sure the guard to Tonya's tent couldn't see them, stealthily moved to the opposite sides of the large tent. They knew they would only have moments to finish the barricade, so they created the simplest one they could. They created identical Earth walls on all four sides of the tent and just finished propping up a few slabs to steady the walls when the hybrids caught on.  
"Ashley! A top!" Andreea called. Together, they made a flat rock sheet and moved it on top of the walls. At the end, the tent was trapped inside the Earth slabs. Angry voices came from inside, but Ashley and Andreea were already gone.

Meanwhile, Kiven walked behind the other tent and Matchu walked alongside the tent towards the guard. He quickly glanced around the corner to see where the guard was, but unfortunately the guard spotted him. Matchu whipped around the corner shooting flames from his hands. The hybrids quickly froze the flames and then managed to freeze Matchu's hands, leaving him unable to bend. However, Matchu was not only a Firebender, but an excellent street fighter. Matchu ran towards the guard and just before he reached him, jumped into the air, twisted around and sent his foot connecting with his opponents jaw, causing him to fall on the ground. The hit made the hybrid distracted for only a few seconds, but it that time, Kiven was able to slip into the tent and Matchu was able to unfreeze his ands. When the guard attempted to get up, Matchu kicked him in the side, rolled him onto his stomach and picked him up by his orange hair.  
"Quick Kiven!" He called, throwing the hybrid across camp like he was a sack of potatoes, and into a boulder. Kiven came out of the tent, supporting Tonya who was almost unconscious. Matchu put Tonya's other arm over his shoulder and started to walk away but apparently the guard had recovered from hitting his head very fast. He scorched Kiven in the back; Kiven crumbled to the ground, leaving Matchu holding on to Tonya. The guards hands turned blue as he slowly approached them, his sapphire eyes turning icy. Tonya stiffened next to Matchu and her skin was slowly turning blue.  
"Mat…" she mumbled between frozen lips. "Help…" her eyes, the only part of her body not frozen, were full of tears. Matchu was unable to help at all because his hands were frozen solid and he was forced to watch his friend slowly die.  
"Kiven!" He yelled, but Kiven was also unable to move. Just as Matchu was giving up hope, Ashley and Andreea came running around the corner. Andreea, quickly evaluating the situation, knocked the guard in the head with a large boulder. He fell immediately to the ground, dead.  
"We need to get back. Now." Matchu stated; even though his hands were unfrozen, Tonya was still very blue and her breathing was very shallow. Kiven was slowly getting to his feet. Ashley helped him up and Matchu picked Tonya up into his arms. They raced off to the palace; hoping time would be on their side.


	9. Chapter 9: Conversations and more

****it's shorter than what i wanted to do, but eh. i like it, just because of the fluff... and don't worry your fluff-lovers out there, they'll be more. thanks for the reviews and keep them coming! they really do make it easier for me to write, knowing my readers are enjoying what i'm writing.****

Katara stood on her bedroom balcony, looking at the bright moon and twinkling stars. The cool wind whipped her hair around her face. A light went on in the bedroom next door, and a second later Ashley walked out onto her porch. She also looked up at the sky and then Katara could see her shoulders shake. Katara looked away when she heard Ashley's heart wrenching sobs. Tonya had died before they even reached the palace. Kiven was slowly healing from his burn, while Matchu would have no permanent damage from the fight. Katara grieved to see Ashley's sorrow, but couldn't find any words of comfort. She walked back into her room and shut the door.  
A knock came from Katara's door as she was just about to climb into bed. Zuko was standing there in only black slacks; his hair was a mess and his eyes were wide.  
"Can I talk to you quick?" He asked.  
"I guess…" she let him into the room.  
"I couldn't sleep…all I could see was that girls body when they brought her back…what if that was Iroh? What if he's already dead? I don't know what I would do if that happened…he's the only father I've ever known…" he rambled on, walking in circles.  
"I'm sure he's not dead." said Katara, always the optimistic.  
"How do you know though?! They've killed hundreds of innocent villages, what's stopping them from killing Uncle?" He exclaimed. Katara sighed, and grabbed his arms.  
"Look, he's no use to them dead. They will probably keep him as ransom; so what good will he be if he's dead?" she said calmly, staring into his intense amber eyes. Suddenly his eyes softened and he pushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear.  
"I never noticed before. Your eyes have strands of a pale blue running through your normal sapphire color." he muttered. She blushed. They both started to lean into one another, the air tense around them as they slowly closed in on each other.  
"KATARA! OPEN UP!" Sokka's voice yelled from outside. The couple jumped away from each other and Katara ran to the door and cracked it open.  
"Yes?" She asked, hoping she wasn't blushing too much.  
"Is it true that you told Suki about the time I was four when I woke the whole village up one morning because I had…" he dropped his voice "…went to the bathroom and my pee froze in mid-air?" Katara heard Zuko snicker behind her.  
"Um sure. Good night!" She shut the door on Sokka's outraged expression.  
"THANKS A LOT KATARA!" He yelled. They heard him grumble down the hallway. Katara giggled and turned around to face Zuko.  
"Well…I guess I should leave." Zuko said awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head.  
"Oh…ok." said Katara, clearly disappointed. Zuko began walking towards the door but then stopped and turned around. Katara looked at him hopefully, and that seemed to give him hope. He approached her, cupped her face in his hands and slowly kissed her. Katara put her arms around his neck and drew him closer, entangling her fingers in his chocolate locks. He kept one hand touching her face, but slipped the other onto the small of her back, and pulled her so close, there wasn't an inch between them.  
"Excuse me for interrupting…" Aang had opened the door without Katara and Zuko noticing. The surprised couple slowly untangled themselves as Aang watched with a smug look on his face.  
"Yes Aang?" Katara asked breathlessly.  
"I just wanted to inform you both that there is going to be a meeting tomorrow morning at ten in the largest conference room."  
"Alright. Thanks." Katara said.  
"Come with me Zuko, I would like to talk to you." Aang said. Zuko nodded.  
"Um, night Katara." He whispered, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek.  
"Night Zuko." She said sweetly.  
Aang and Zuko left the room quietly and walked down the hall to Aang's room.  
"I hope you're not mad." Zuko said quickly. Aang chuckled.  
"No Zuko. I'm not mad. I just wanted to ask you to… well, to not hurt her. She's the only sister I have ever had and… I just want the best for her."  
"I know Aang… I do too."  
"And I'm pretty sure you're the best there is." Aang added before walking into his room. Zuko stared at Aang's door for a couple minutes after he shut it, questioning the young Avatar.

Andreea was surprised at how quiet and serene the Earth Nation palace was in the early morning. Sitting in the gardens behind the palace she watched the sunrise, showering the day with brilliant oranges, and startling yellows. She sat on a bench and sighed. It had been a rough night, which was for sure. She had barely slept, and when she had managed to, it was very fitful and she only dreamt of the horrible day. Finally, she decided she needed to get up and out. She had wandered the palace aimlessly, until she found the beautiful gardens.  
"Do you mind if I join you?" Riley limped out into the gardens.  
"I suppose." She scooted over on the bench to allow him to sit. They had only met once before, in the meeting yesterday, but Riley had noticed Andreea and had been meaning to talk to her.  
"I'm sorry about your friend." He muttered.  
"Thanks." She said, staring intently at a bug on the ground. They both went silent.  
"When you were attacked by them… were you scared?" She asked hestitantly. Riley was taken back by her question.  
"Um, yea. It was… quite unnerving what they could do."  
"I know. Watching that man just… freeze Tonya until she was basically a human iscicle was so… messed up. But what was really scary, was the look on his face. He looked like he was _enjoying_ himself; or more like, he didn't really care what he was doing. How could that happen to someone? How could they be so used to killing people, they don't care anymore and they find it actually fun?" she vented, purple eyes swirling with fury.  
"I…I don't really know." he stammered out.  
"It just makes me so _mad_." she said through clenched teeth.  
"I can understand." he whispered. "But maybe they think it's the only way they'll be accepted."  
"Accepted?" Andreea cried out. "How in the hell are they being accepted by anyone?! All they're doing is killing innocent people. They're abusing their power." she spit out. Riley sat in silence.  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to yell. I have a bad temper sometimes." Andreea apologized a couple minutes later.  
"It's fine. Don't apologize. Besides, your temper isn't even bad to some people I know." He said, thinking of Nutashi.  
"Well I should probably go eat some breakfast before our meeting this morning." said Andreea, standing up.  
"Can I tag along?" Riley asked. Andreea smiled.  
"Yea, sure."


End file.
